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Sunday, December 7, 2014

{Crohn's Awareness} :: Why Are You So Tired All the Time?

This is a question I constantly ask myself, and is probably one of the more frustrating parts of having an autoimmune disease. I am tired. ALL. THE. TIME. Everyone is tired; I get that. But when your body is literally fighting against itself, there's a new level of tired that I didn't know existed before I had Crohn's.

Fatigue and exhaustion are hallmarks of Crohn's Disease. It is certainly worse when my disease is active, but even in remission, I experience fatigue. The autoimmune response that happens in my intestines causes inflammation, which is my body fighting against itself. In addition, I experience body aches with Crohn's, so my body is just always taking a beating. Being in constant pain is just downright exhausting.

Fun fact: Vitamin B-12 is found in a number of foods (shellfish, beef, fish, soy, bran, dairy/cheese, eggs). It helps in the production of DNA and red blood cells, and is an important player in the functioning of your nervous system. B-12 is absorbed in the ileum...but because my ileum is diseased, my body doesn't process/absorb B-12 like it's supposed to. So Crohn's makes me B-12 deficient. Which means I have low energy. So I have to give myself B-12 injections every month, just to keep up a normal level.

With all of these factors, it makes sense why I am tired all the time, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I have been blessed to not have to miss a lot of work due to Crohn's...because most of my issues happen at night. So that can disrupt sleep, making it more difficult to keep my energy up. I have to be sure I get adequate rest in order to manage my disease and stay in remission, so I sleep A LOT. I am not able to do as much as I used to simply because I run out of steam quicker. It's annoying, but it's life now.

It's a weird, constant cycle, and just something I am learning to live with. It's hard for my Type-A personality to not just do everything like I used to. I don't like having to ask for so much help, or letting others do things for me all the time {mainly my servant-hearted hubby}. So you can bet I take advantage of my good days as much as possible! Which, if I am not careful, only serves to exhaust me... :)

I am thankful that the Lord has caused me to slow down in a number of ways. I may not like it all the time, but I see His grace and loving hand in it. It definitely keeps me on my knees and dependent on Him more often...a good thing, if you ask me!